Funny thing. I was reading my Duck Commander devotional this morning (yes, I am a fan of the Robertson clan), and this was the submission today by Willie Robertson, the CEO of Duck Commander. The verse reads “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 NASB.

Now, I like what Willie writes in his submission. “Joshua lays out a simple and stark choice for his fellow Israelites in this passage: choose the false gods of this culture around you, or choose the one God who delivered you and led you to glory. Joshua made his choice proudly and proclaimed it for all to hear, and then he laid out the simple and profound charge to follow his example. Today and every day, I want to live my life choosing the God over false gods, proudly proclaiming it and inviting others to follow my example. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord today and every day!”

Now, this can seem to be a really monumental task to some. Even for those who have been serving God for awhile could attest to this. If they are capable of being honest, that is. We all know in our daily walk at every turn and stride, the enemy is lurking and ready to do anything to derail our best intentions. Think of it for a minute. I decided to pick-up, and carry my cross to consciously follow Christ. Right? I mean the old “gods” were sent packing. So why then devil are you hanging around for my sake? Don’t you have anything better to do? Like, really, get a life why don’t ya? So if these kinds of things can happen to us, the saved or born again (and again, and again, and again once more in some cases), just imagine how daunting it can look to someone just recognizing Christ for the first time! I mean, there are still times I myself have to say “Lord, show me the wisdom and guide me here, cause I think I am in the sinking sand…..”

So now just imagine your someone doing time in prison. And you have hit your knees to the floor for the umpteenth time, but this time it is for real. You have years of baggage dragging behind you. But, you have reached the point of exhaustion, and your tired of the old ways. You want to do what is right. You want to get back with your family. Your tired of having to “run a game” to get by. And your reading your Bible and come across this particular passage. Sounds easy enough to do, right? I mean, how hard can it be? Well, the answer is there are times it may be hard – no, – times that dollars to donuts it is going to be hard. But it can be made easier and bearable folks.

It just takes that one person to guide that person and walk with them. Yeah, sometimes to be that much needed crutch to prop that particular person up. A lot of times folks need to see this modelled for them. I can guarantee you I for one did. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties before I even caught a glimpse of what it was like to have a relationship and walk with the one true God. I had spent my life up until that point serving many gods. And they weren’t good ones I am hear to tell ya. And if it weren’t for the people who came around me, and begin to show me how I could live a different life, I’d more than likely still be serving the “false gods”.

I am glad that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT). Cause I was definitely that. And I am thankful for those men who took time to pour into my life so that the scales could be removed from my eyes so that I could see the light. And even in the times I stumbled, they were there still. Another great scripture fits this bill – “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” 1 John 3:16 NRSV. We need, collectively, to show, mentor, coach, teach, whichever term one wants to use, to show how one can serve. In turn, they can show their “house” the same. We are all worth the time and effort, no matter the cards we’ve been dealt, or the wrongs we’ve committed. Remember the words of Jesus to the crowd surrounding the adultress……”Let him who be without sin cast the first stone”. Like it or not, we have been charged to be our brother’s keeper. Talk is cheap, actions are real, what are you waiting for?

As for me, and my house, we have, we are, and we always will, serve the Lord. As it has been shown unto me, I therefore accept the charge to do the same. Are you willing to play a part?